


The Cool Kids

by SQ (proteinscollide)



Series: TAI high school AU [2]
Category: Bandom, The Academy Is...
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-27
Updated: 2008-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-24 14:49:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/264713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/proteinscollide/pseuds/SQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's nothing else Sisky could be doing, nowhere else he'd rather be than at the bake sale with Butcher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Cool Kids

**Author's Note:**

  * For [littlerhymes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlerhymes/gifts).



> A scene from All The Friends You Need from Sisky's POV, written for Christmas two years ago before the main story!

Sisky is on his way to lunch when he chances upon Butcher and two of his friends outside their next class. Butcher has his back to the hall, but Sisky recognises the close cropped hair, the dark blazer he’s been wearing all this week. The other two guys - Sisky knows Carden, who used to shoot baskets with William and Jason outside William’s house, until they all stopped hanging out about a year ago; and he’s pretty sure that’s the transfer student by his side, the one William has gym with. William is walking on Sisky’s left, chatting to Victoria about the spring production, but when he sees the new guy – Bartlett or Chiswick or something like that – he waves and gets a small grin in return. Sisky’s gonna say hey too except then Carden shifts against the wall and turns a glare upon them, and Sisky lets his hand drop down by his side. The change in expression on Mike’s face alerts Butcher though, and he turns around just in time to catch Sisky by the elbow. He says, “Hey, got a minute?”

Sisky lets himself be led a little further down the hall, even as he turns to let William know he’ll catch up later. William barely notices, still talking earnestly to Victoria about some scene they were rehearsing yesterday, swept into the cafeteria by the crowd. Sisky shrugs and turns his attention back to Butcher.

“…you wanted to come by the theatre after school and help me paint some more sets?” Butcher was saying.

Sisky grimaces and says, “Dude, I would, but there’s basketball practice this afternoon.” He bites his lip as he thinks about it, then says hesitantly, “I could – maybe – if I duck out - ”

“Hey no, no biggie,” Butcher cuts in hastily, and Sisky mentally smacks himself upside the head for sound so desperate. He opens his mouth to backtrack, but then Butcher says, “What about tomorrow? You have any big plans for the weekend?”

Sisky mumbles, “No.” Great, desperate _and_ dateless on a Saturday night. Could he sound like any more of a loser? But Butcher just grins widely at the answer and says, “Cool. There’s the bake sale for the drama production during the day, but then Bill’s throwing a party at his place, so maybe you want to come with?”

Sisky starts to nod his head, then he gets a better idea and says shyly, “Um, what about – do you want some company while you man your cake stall?”

Butcher drops his arm around Sisky and says, “Hell yeah, I would. That would be awesome.”

Mike leans around the bank of lockers and says, “Hey, Anderson’s rounding the corner. Time for class, Casanova.”

Sisky ducks out from under Butcher’s arm quickly, but before he can move away, Butcher says, “See you tomorrow then.” He taps Sisky on the forearm, just below the wrist, and his fingers linger there for a touch longer. They don’t break apart until Mike ducks out again and hisses, “Butcher, NOW.”

**

There’s a line of tables set up outside the school early next morning, lining the footpath. As Sisky walks towards them, he can see Victoria and Travis hanging up banners and posters on the trees bracketing the tables, while Gabe stands to one side ogling their legs and yelling unhelpful comments, “yeah, that’s a little crooked – a little higher on that corner – higher – oh yeah baby, like that.”

Brendon is arguing with Nate, and as Sisky brushes by, he hears Brendon say indignantly, “It’s gonna be a hot day, what if the goldfish overheat or something?”

Nate rolls his eyes and says, “They’re swimming in cold water, dumbass.”

They’re still glaring at each other, hands on hips, as Spencer calmly walks by and sets up a sun shade over them both.

There’s an extra long, extra large table at the end of the line, empty except for a paper sign taped to the front that says “Suarez’s Tasty Treats”. Someone’s come through with a purple Sharpie afterwards, and now there is “delicious!” written all over the rest of the page. Butcher’s manning the stall next to that. There’s only one lone foil covered tray in front of him, and he’s not paying any attention to it; he’s rocking back on his chair instead, head bent over the sketchbook in his lap.

Sisky steps up to Butcher’s table and clears his throat softly. Butcher looks up and squints into the sunlight. “You came!” he says delightedly, closing the sketchbook and tucking it into the backpack by his chair.

“I said I would, didn’t I?” Sisky says. “And I, uh, thought you might – I made these.” He thrusts the plate in his hands forwards, and Butcher takes it and peels back the foil eagerly. “It’s just snickerdoodles,” Sisky mumbles. “That’s all my mom taught me to bake. I hope they’re okay.”

Butcher just grins, and places the plate next to his tray. He peels the foil off that too, and as they look down at row upon row of pale golden cookies, Butcher says, “Great minds and all that.”

They do slow trade all through the morning; most of their custom comes from the overflow of the crowd gathering around the tables next to them. It turns out Suarez is a Home Ec whiz, and easily sweet talks Ms James into letting him commandeer the school kitchens to produce tray after tray of fresh, impossibly perfect baked goods. Suarez’s Tasty Treats sell like, well, hot cakes. By lunch, Sisky’s stomach is growling from hunger and prolonged exposure to the wafting smell of freshly baked muffins and choc covered bars and tiny cupcakes. So when Butcher comes back from a bathroom break with two coffees and five crispy Spanish donuts straight from the oven, cajoled out of Blackinton, Sisky hugs him without thinking and moans, “I think I love you right now.”

He’s munching his way through the third donut before his mind registers what his mouth just said, and he stops dead. He gulps the last bite down, now sitting like lead in his stomach. Oh _shit_. He turns slowly to face Butcher, mind furiously cycling through something, anything, to say; his face is burning, and he’s pretty sure it’s not from sun exposure. But Butcher doesn’t seem to have noticed anything wrong. He’s pulled out his sketchbook again, and he’s bent over the page, the pencil sliding across the paper in quick, easy strokes. Sisky props his chin in his hands and watches Butcher fondly. He leans forward a little, hoping to glimpse what’s caught Butcher’s rapt attention, but his shadow falls across the page and Butcher glances up. When he finds Sisky watching him he just gives him an easy smile. “If you could stay just like that,” he says gently, tilting the book towards himself a little more as he goes back to his drawing.

Sisky sits as still as he can. He closes his eyes, and breathes in deep. He can hear the jingle of coins landing in the collection tin at the table next to them, Ryland thanking every person for their custom around a mouthful of muffin, his sixth of the day; the smell of caramel and bananas drifts by on a breeze. A little way to his left he can hear Spencer and Brendon and Nate having an argument about Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band, and even further down comes the giggling of another freshmen as she gets kissed by William in exchange for a week's allowance. The sun is shining gloriously bright, and even with his eyes closed Sisky can feel it all around him.

Then Butcher touches him just above the knee, and his eyes fly open. “Hey, I hope this isn’t too boring – I’m sorry, I just wanted to capture that – I bet you could think of a hundred better things to do on a Saturday that to spend it with me.”

Sisky laughs, feeling the warmth of Butcher’s palm on his skin, and says honestly, “Man, this is the best Saturday I’ve had in a long while.”

Butcher smiles and leans forward, his ear brushing Sisky’s ear briefly as he murmurs, “I guess we ought to hang out more often then.” He says it like a promise, and Sisky closes his eyes again and hopes against hope for it to be fulfilled.

END


End file.
